SQL Server
Database, Analytics, and AI/ML Roadmap
Licensing Reference
Licensing reference materials are continuously updated, highly-detailed entries covering Microsoft licensing terms, procedures, practices and timelines.
Product Reference
Product reference materials are clear, concise definitions and descriptions of Microsoft's ever-growing catalog of products and services.
SQL Managed Instance Roadmap
Updated Sep-2025: SQL Managed Instance is finally supporting Windows logins, removing a long-standing barrier to... more
SQL Database Roadmap
Updated Sep-2025: SQL Database is receiving natural language queries from SQL Server 2025, but customers... more
Azure Data Factory Roadmap: Losing Components
Azure Data Factory (ADF) is a cloud extract, transform, and load (ETL) service that helps... more
SQL Server Reporting Services Roadmap – End of the Road; Moving to Power BI
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a role in SQL Server, Microsoft’s long-standing on-premises database... more
SQL Server Analysis Services Roadmap – Helping Older Models and Building DAX Queries
SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) is a role in SQL Server, Microsoft’s long-standing on-premises database... more
SQL Server Integration Services Roadmap – The Deprecations Mount
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a role in SQL Server, Microsoft’s long-standing on-premises database management... more
SQL Server Roadmap – Version 2025 Bringing Natural Language Search
SQL Server is a server-based product that provides database management, integration, reporting, semantic models, and... more
Azure Analysis Services Roadmap
Azure Analysis Services (AAS) is a cloud analytics service based on SQL Server Analysis Services... more
Database Migration Service Roadmap
Heads Up: DMS is losing its automation through Data Studio and will most affect data... more
SQL Edge Roadmap
Azure SQL Edge is retiring in Sept. 2025. For more details and migration advice, see... more
SQL Server Stretch Database Roadmap
Roadmap for Azure SQL Server Stretch Database, a hosted data storage service used with on-premises... more
Server Application Version Support
This chart (fig 1.) displays server application compatibility with Windows Server and SQL Server versions... more
Power BI Roadmap
Power BI is Microsoft’s primary data visualization offering. It contains several integrated software and Microsoft... more
Database, Analytics, and AI/ML Roadmap – Overall Trends
This section discusses high-level trends that Directions sees in the areas of Database, Analytics, AI, and... more
SQL Data Sync Roadmap
The Azure SQL Data Sync service acts as a cloud hub for synchronizing data across... more
Comparing Database, Analytics, and AI Offerings
Microsoft’s database, analytics, and AI landscape includes on-premises products and Microsoft cloud-based services that are part... more
SQL Server 2025 to Deliver AI Features and Lots More
June 26, 2025
· Season - 4 · Episode - 11 · Duration - 36m Diving Into the Data: A Directions on Microsoft BrainstormAugust 27, 2024
· Season - 3 · Episode - 14 · Duration - 51m SQL Server 2022’s New Azure-Connected FeaturesFebruary 13, 2023
· Season - 2 · Episode - 3 · Duration - 19m
Updated: January 9, 2025
SQL Server: The Polymath of Databases?
Updated: April 8, 2024
Answer This: How to control costs when licensing Windows Server 2012 ESUs for VMs
Updated: April 8, 2024
CIO Talk: Don’t Forget the IT Fundamentals!
